


Sprawled On These Cathedral Steps

by MyChemicalFallOutBoyRomance



Category: My Chemical Romance
Genre: Frerard, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-03-27
Updated: 2017-03-27
Packaged: 2018-10-11 16:30:16
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,845
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10469352
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MyChemicalFallOutBoyRomance/pseuds/MyChemicalFallOutBoyRomance
Summary: Frank Iero is a man who lives by routine, every day the same... and that's just how he likes it.Gerard Way is living on the streets; a faceless man who, through no fault of his own, has become part of Frank's routine.It only takes one moment though, a lack of concentration on Frank's part and their worlds are brought together more intensely then either could ever have imagined....





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Just the first two chapters at the minute - it's rough and needs work but I'm not sure whether to continue it or not so always happy for feedback either here or Twitter (@MCFOBR)

Frank’s life was pretty routine. He woke up at exactly the same time every weekday, walked exactly the same route to work (via the same coffee shop for the same soy latte) worked the same hours and walked the same route home. Frank liked the regularity of his organised day, even if others mocked him for it; there was security in routine and Frank was happy with that.  
Dressed in his same white shirt and black trousers, Frank set out for a new day; walking the streets to work, on his way to the coffee shop. The same homeless man with his same threadbare, dark clothing and greasy black hair, was lying on the floor against the wall just opposite the coffee shop door. Frank stopped, like always, and bent to drop a dollar into the man’s paper cup by his head.  
“Thank you,” the man whispered, opening his eyes at the sound of Frank’s coin hitting the bottom of the cup.  
“You’re welcome,” Frank replied with a nod, pleased they had both played their part correctly, just like all the other mornings Frank walked to work.  
Frank carried on, straight into the coffee shop and approached the counter. There was never a queue at this time which is why Frank to chose to leave his house so early; it was also why he was always arrived thirty minutes ahead of his start time for work every day.  
“Medium soy latte, please, Ray,” Frank said to the barista.  
“Coming right up,” the other man replied. Ray knew it was what Frank was going to order, it was always the same. One time he had cut Frank off and told him not to worry because he knew what he wanted; Frank had not appreciated the break in routine and told Ray he shouldn’t be so presumptuous… and then ordered a medium soy latte. After Frank had calmed down, both men managed to laugh at the incident and they had kind of become friends ever since.  
“Busy day ahead?” Ray asked as he poured the soy milk. When Frank had first started using the shop small talk was not part of his routine but he was comfortable enough with Ray now to chat freely.  
“Same as usual really; answering calls, updating files, saying hi to dogs,” Frank said with a smile, listing the daily tasks that made up his receptionist job in a local veterinary office.  
“You don’t get tired of cleaning up shit, man?” Ray asked as he dumped a shot of coffee into Frank’s cup.  
“You know that’s not what I do… well, hardly ever,” Frank said with a small smile. There were times when the veterinary assistants needed a hand or a dog would make a mess in the waiting area but they were rare and mostly the owners dealt with it. Not that Frank would have minded, he loved working with animals; the good and the bad parts.  
“As long as it makes you happy, I guess,” Ray said as he shook his head, making his brown curls bounce and spring out in all directions.  
“Sure. Cute dogs to fuss over all day, a couple of cats, maybe even a gerbil or two,” Frank said with a grin. Ray laughed and handed over Frank’s drink.  
“Same time tomorrow?” Ray asked. Frank knew he was joking and he liked Ray enough to allow him to poke fun at him occasionally.  
“Yes, Ray,” Frank said with a roll of his eyes. Frank handed over his money for his coffee then left the shop, continuing his morning pattern as he strolled towards work.

 

Despite Ray’s prediction, there was no shit for Frank to clean up all day. There was a very adorable bichon frise that came in for a check up whose owner was more than happy to let Frank fuss over the four legged creature, letting him give her a cuddle and a treat from his drawer. The last animal of the day, a hairless sphynx cat took an instant dislike to Frank and hissed at him from its carry box the whole time he was trying to book it in for a follow up. Aside from that high and low point, the day was fairly standard which is exactly what Frank liked.


	2. Chapter 2

The next morning Frank dressed for work in his usual way and left his apartment at the usual time. Frank had a strange pulling feeling in his stomach, some nagging worry that everything wasn’t okay. He pushed it to the back of his mind and lost himself in his daily walk to work.  
When Frank reached the homeless man, laid in his usual bed of cardboard and newspapers, Frank slipped a hand into his pocket as he bent down and froze. The man opened one eye, clearly sensing Frank’s prolonged presence by his head. Frank immediately straightened up but still kept his fingers grasping around the empty space in his pocket.  
“I always give you a dollar,” Frank said to the man in a monotone voice.  
“I know,” the man said softly but then his face suddenly twisted in panic. The man sat up and scrambled backwards, trying to make himself blend into the wall behind him. “Did you need it all back? I-I-I’ve got some cash…”  
“No. No,” Frank said hurriedly, holding out both his palms to the man, trying to show he wasn’t trying to threaten or intimidate him.  
“You can take it,” the man said, close to tears. “Just don’t hurt me.”  
“No. Really, no,” Frank tried again. “It’s just that I don’t have a dollar today. I don’t have any money with me.”  
Frank swallowed, trying to ignore the guilt he felt over not being able to help the man as well as his own unsettling feeling of breaking out of his normal routine.  
“Okay…” the man said warily, clearly not believing Frank.  
“I’m really sorry,” Frank said quietly. He looked directly into the man’s wide hazel eyes and tried to force his apology into them.  
“It’s okay.” The man pulled a sheet of newspaper closer to his chest and shuffled even closer to the wall at his back. Frank could see the fear there so he nodded and left for the coffee shop.

 

“Frank?” Ray said again when Frank ignored his first attempt to get his attention.  
“Huh?” Frank looked at Ray over the counter and blinked rapidly.  
“You okay, man? You kinda zoned out.”  
“I did?”  
“Yeah. You didn’t even order yet,” Ray said seriously, concern colouring his tone.  
“Right… yeah.” Frank shook his head as though the physical action could clear his clouded thoughts.  
“Seriously, dude; what’s going on? Did Gerard say something to upset you?”  
“Who?” Frank stared at Ray in confusion.  
“Gerard. It looked like you were talking to him before you came in,” Ray tilted his head towards the window as he spoke, causing a mass of curls to bob towards the glass too.  
“The homeless guy? No, it wasn’t his fault,” Frank said but Ray’s face clearly didn’t understand. “I always give him a dollar, every day, but I don’t have any cash today.”  
“And he gave you a hard time? That’s not like him, he’s normally pretty cool… and to be honest, scared of people.”  
“He was alright about it. I mean, he was scared, like you say; he thought I wanted my money back or something, I don’t know. But I can’t believe I haven’t got any money with me…”  
“Don’t worry, man. You spend enough in here, this one’s my treat,” Ray said with a grin.  
“No, I can pay; I’ve got my credit card with me. It’s just… shit, how do I not have money?” Frank ran a hand through his hair and tried to work out where he had messed up in his perfect routine.  
“Oh… I get it. It’s because it’s not part of the pattern,” Ray said quietly when Frank covered his face with both hands.  
“I always give him a fucking dollar and I messed it up,” Frank said from behind his fingers.  
“Stop being so hard on yourself, man. Everything doesn’t have to be in some rigid routine every day.” Ray was trying to be supportive but all it earned him was a glare from Frank.  
“You know it does,” Frank said through his teeth. Frank really didn’t want to lose his temper with Ray; he was the closest thing Frank had to a friend in his lonely, dogmatic world.  
“Alright. Look, I can’t give you a dollar but I’ll make you an extra drink, you can give that to Gerard instead; would that help?”  
“Probably not,” Frank said in a petulant voice. He had deviated from the norm; it gave Frank a stomach cramp just thinking about it.  
“Well, you don’t know until you try. Take a walk on the wild side, man. Give him the drink and if it doesn’t help then give him two dollars tomorrow,” Ray suggested.  
“Okay,” Frank agreed, but only so he could stop thinking about how much he had ruined his day already.  
There was a heavy silence as the two men stared at each other over the counter. Ray’s eyebrows were raised in expectation and Frank’s face was still crumpled in confusion and frustration. Ray lifted his hands and almost shrugged at Frank but held his shoulders tense like he was waiting for something. Frank narrowed his eyes at the man and frowned.  
“Jeez, Frank. Are you gonna order your soy latte so I can start making it?” Ray said after the silence had gone on too long.  
“Oh, right, yeah…”  
“There’s no way I’m gonna wreck your day further; I still haven’t forgotten the freak out you had when I dared to recite your order to you before.”  
“Medium soy latte, please, Ray,” Frank said in a low voice and without his usual enthusiasm.  
“Thank god for that,” Ray said quietly then exhaled.  
“What should I get for…” Frank started but he couldn’t remember the homeless man’s name.  
“Gerard? He’ll have a flat white if I’m making it,” Ray said as he turned to pick up two paper cups.  
Ray tried to give Frank both drinks for free but Frank politely declined; Ray didn’t push it because he sensed it was part of Frank’s need for control and routine. Frank paid with his credit card and it only dawned on him afterward that he couldn’t leave Ray a tip in the jar like usual. Frank was going to explain but as soon as he opened his mouth he realised the tip jar was missing; he didn’t see Ray move it under the counter while Frank was distracted putting his card away.  
“See you tomorrow, buddy, same time,” Ray said with a warm smile.  
“Bye, Ray… and thanks,” Frank said, returning the smile before leaving the coffee shop.

Frank walked back towards the homeless man, Gerard, when he left the shop, despite his body urging him to walk towards work like he usually would. Gerard hadn’t moved since the conversation with Frank; he was still sat up against the wall, eyeing everyone with suspicion.  
“Hey, Gerard?” Frank called as he approached, not wanting to startle the man. Gerard whipped his head around to face Frank and his eyes became slightly more hostile.  
“Yeah?” Frank heard fear in the man’s voice more than anger but he was still cautious.  
“I brought you a coffee… you know, because I didn’t have change today,” Frank tried to explain.  
“You did?” Gerard said quietly. Frank nodded and held out the paper cup marked with a ‘G’ towards the man on the floor. Gerard reached out and took the cup, flinching when his dirty, gloved finger brushed Frank’s hand.  
“Yeah. It’s a flat white,” Frank said kindly. Gerard stopped his sniffing of the hot drink and looked straight up at Frank.  
“Who made it?” Gerard demanded, his voice louder than Frank had ever heard.  
“Ray,” Frank said then pointed over his shoulder “from just there.” The news seemed to please Gerard; he nodded and smiled slightly before taking a sip.  
“That’s good. Thank you,” Gerard said genuinely as he glanced up at Frank.  
“You’re welcome. And I’m sorry if I scared you earlier, I really didn’t mean to,” Frank felt like he owed an apology for making the man so worried.  
“It’s alright.” Gerard took another sip of his drink then held it tightly in both hands, close to his chest.  
Every morning for almost six months Frank had stopped on his way to work to give this man a dollar, but standing next to him Frank realised he had never even had a real conversation with him; he hadn’t even known his name until Ray had told him minutes earlier. Frank had given him that first dollar because he felt bad for the man, nobody deserves to be sleeping rough, and although Frank had continued his behaviour because of the pattern, it still didn’t take away the basic human sympathy he felt for the man. Somehow, Frank had almost forgotten that his money giving was more than just a tick box exercise to be completed daily; it was also a genuine act of compassion for a fellow human being.  
“I’m Frank,” Frank said suddenly. His brain had made a snap decision to show some kindness to Gerard, and although it went against the grain, Frank didn’t regret it.  
“Hi, Frank,” Gerard said in an unsure voice. His eyes were darting anxiously and Frank saw the tremble in his hands.  
“You mind if I join you?” Frank had plenty of time to get to work and his routine was already in tatters for the day… not that it seemed to matter so much in comparison to offering some comfort to a person who clearly needed it.  
“If you want…” Gerard said unsurely. Gerard narrowed his eyes at Frank, trying to work out what was really going on.  
“Thanks.” Frank sat down beside Gerard, leaning against the wall too but being careful to avoid sitting on Gerard’s makeshift bed. Frank almost gagged at the stink of the other man; a nauseating concoction of sweat, dirt and damp was overpowering being so close. But Frank took a sip of his latte to hide his reaction and made a mental note to breathe through his mouth once he swallowed the liquid.  
“Thank you again, for the drink,” Gerard said before taking a mouthful.  
“Don’t worry about it. It was Ray who knew what to get you,” Frank explained.  
“He’s a nice guy.”  
“So you don’t only like him for his flat whites?” Frank asked with a small smile.  
“He’s the only person who knows how to make them properly,” Gerard said defensively, tightening his fingers around the coffee.  
“I was just kidding… sorry,” Frank apologised when he saw how much his joke had shook Gerard.  
“Sorry,” Gerard breathed. Frank didn’t miss the small motion as Gerard shuffled slightly away from him.  
“You don’t have to be sorry, my fault. Am I making you uncomfortable?” Frank copied Gerard’s action and moved himself along the wall, further away.  
“It’s just… you look, sorry, your tattoos make you look kinda scary,” Gerard said quietly, avoiding looking directly at Frank.  
“Ahhh, yeah. I get it.” Frank subconsciously rubbed at the inking on his neck. “I swear, I’m just a normal guy under it. Remember, I’m the nice guy who stops by you every morning.” Frank thought it would be too crass to say that he always gave him money but he wanted Gerard to feel more at ease, to know that Frank wasn’t a threat.  
“I know…” Gerard whispered as he looked over Frank’s heavily inked hands.  
“Alright, the truth? They’re supposed to make me look tough and scary. But I’m really not,” Frank confessed.  
“So why?” Gerard asked but then clamped his lips together. “That was rude, don’t answer me.” Gerard thrust the coffee towards Frank and tried to hide his face against the wall.  
“Calm down, it’s okay.” Frank gently pushed on Gerard’s hand, guiding the cup back to him. The dirt encrusted material of Gerard’s pathetic glove felt rough and worn beneath Frank’s fingertips; Frank closed his eyes against the sadness that tugged at his insides. Frank waited until Gerard was looking at him again before he carried on speaking.  
“I grew up here in New Jersey. I’m skinny, shorter than average, strict catholic parents and bisexual; everything about me is literally a target for bullies, I had to give myself a fighting chance,” Frank explained honestly. Gerard nodded slightly like he understood then gave Frank a very hesitant smile.  
Frank had only ever told one other person why he was so obsessed in covering most of his skin with tattoos. When most people asked he told them he just liked the art or they were a way of expressing himself. Both reasons were true but the deeper motivation truly was his desire to appear strong after so many years of being weak; Frank loved the way he looked and he knew the less than agreeable impression his tattoos often gave others.  
“How many do you have?” Gerard asked softly, sensing it was okay to ask Frank direct questions but quickly taking a sip of his drink to look casual.  
“A lot,” Frank said with a grin.  
“More than fifty?” Gerard laughed at the high number he had plucked out of nowhere.  
“Easily. I’m not even sure how many but it’s definitely more than that,” Frank answered and Gerard stopped laughing.  
“Really?” Gerard’s face looked more amazed than scared now. Frank put his cup down between his legs and very slowly unbuttoned his shirt cuff. Gerard’s eyes were fixed on Frank’s fingers as he rolled his shirt sleeve as far as it would go to show Gerard the artwork covering his skin.  
“Wow.” Gerard stared at Frank’s multicoloured forearm, mouth hanging open. Frank smirked and twisted his arm so Gerard could see more of the pictures hidden underneath.  
“You have any tattoos?” Frank asked as Gerard’s eyes tried to absorb every part of Frank’s arm.  
“No… I’m scared of needles.” Gerard looked up at Frank who nodded sympathetically and took the opportunity to put his shirt sleeve back in place. Frank picked up his coffee and took a mouthful; Gerard did the same.   
“Well, I should probably get to work,” Frank said when the silence between them got too heavy.  
“Okay.” Gerard nodded then watched Frank get to his feet.  
“You stay safe,” Frank said, looking down at Gerard. There was something in Gerard’s eyes that made some kind of emotion flare up in Frank and he couldn’t stop himself from reaching down to squeeze the man’s shoulder.  
“I’ll try. Thank you, Frank,” Gerard said quietly.  
“You don’t have to keep saying that, it’s just a coffee,” Frank said kindly, he didn’t want Gerard to feel indebted to him over a hot drink… especially when some of it was about Frank resetting his own routine.  
“I meant for the conversation,” Gerard whispered and looked down. Frank swallowed hard, pushing away the lump in his throat, and let his fingers grip Gerard’s shoulder again.  
“That’s okay, man. I’ll see you later,” Frank rushed out then walked away before Gerard could see the tear rolling down his cheek.

 

Frank’s boss was visibly surprised to see him arriving only fifteen minutes before his shift was due to start rather than the usual thirty minutes.  
“Everything okay, Frank?” Kristin asked when Frank took his seat behind the desk.  
“Yeah, of course. Why?” Frank hurriedly swiped at his cheek in case there was still mark there from the tear he had shed.  
“It’s not like you to be late,” Kristin said with a slight frown.  
“Am I?” Frank looked at his watch and breathed a sigh of relief when he saw the time. “I don’t start work until nine, there’s still fifteen minutes… Dr Blanford,” Frank didn’t want to sound disrespectful when he was pointing out his boss was wrong so he tacked her official title on the end; she had only started at the practice a few weeks before but she was a new partner and had the power to fire him.  
“No, I know. I didn’t mean actually late, just late for you. And it’s Kristin, Frank,” she reminded him gently.  
“I stopped on the way in to talk to someone,” Frank explained as he turned on his computer.  
“A friend or…?” Kristin smiled at Frank but he missed it; he was already tapping at his keyboard.  
“Yeah, I guess. A friend,” Frank repeated because it seemed like the easiest way to describe Gerard. 

 

All day at work, Frank thought about Gerard. The interaction over coffee had awoken something in Frank, made him realise that Gerard wasn’t just a feature of his daily routine; he was a living, breathing, human being who was exposed and scared. At first Frank had felt guilty about how he had seemed to forget this in his own selfish quest for control but he had to forgive himself so he could vow to do better; to treat Gerard with the warmth and compassion he deserved.  
Sure, Gerard smelt bad and his clothes were little more than rags, but that didn’t take away from who he was. Frank smiled when he thought about the awe he had seen in Gerard’s face over his tattoos when most people showed the expected fear or the unwelcome disgust. Gerard was scared of a lot, he probably had every reason to be, but the vulnerability was somehow appealing to Frank.  
For once, Frank was glad to see the last dog of the day leave; he was ready for his own walk home and the chance to see Gerard again. Frank said his goodbyes and headed out of the door, barely returning Kristin’s overly friendly smile.  
Frank walked a fraction faster than he usually did; he knew because his calves were starting to burn when he got as far as the coffee shop. It was already locked up for the night, just like usual, and Frank carried on past the darkened windows.  
When he turned his attention to the street in front of the shop though, Frank paused. Mid step, with one foot in the air, Frank stared at the wall where Gerard’s make shift mattress was lying. Gerard was not there. His paper cup was missing too; only his cardboard and newspapers were in their usual place.  
Frank forced himself to step forward and take a deep breath. Frank tried to force himself to focus and remember if Gerard was normally there on his way home from work. He wasn’t sure. Frank only thought of Gerard in a morning when he dropped his money into the cup; he didn’t pay attention on an evening.  
In a complete reversal from the first half of his walk home, Frank slowly dragged his feet closer to his apartment; there was a reason to rush before and, though Frank wasn’t completely sure what it was, it had definitely gone now.


End file.
